Alleged al-Qaida sanctuaries raided

Kabul, Afghanistan  U.S. and Afghan forces raided compounds suspected of being al-Qaida sanctuaries in southeastern Afghanistan on Wednesday, seizing weapons and explosives and arresting eight people, the U.S. military said.

The compounds targeted in the pre-dawn U.S. and Afghan raids near the villages of Paru Kheyl and Jabeh in the Yaqubi district of Khost province were believed to be sanctuaries for "al-Qaida facilitators," according to a military statement.

"Credible intelligence linked the targeted terrorists to assisting foreign fighters and plotting improvised explosive device attacks against Afghan and coalition forces in Khost province," the statement said. Weapons, explosives and communications equipment were found during the searches, it added.